Should I have surgery

[Neo Con]

I have two disc bulge

At L4/5 an annular disc bulge indents the theca. It makes contact with but does not displace or distrt the L5 roots within the lateral reccesses

At L5/S1 there is an annular disc bulge and a small right sided paracentral disc protusion. This compresses the right S1 root within the lateral reccess

Okay basically the surgeon has said that I need sugery as osteppathy and phsyiotherapy will not solve the problem as it is a structural issue.

My symptoms are pain down the back of legs and and ankle which is severe, when sitting and I cannot sit for more than 10 minutes, driving is very pain ful (pain is 10/10). Recently I have had pain down the front of the upper leg as well. Standing the pain is 2 out of 10 I can run play football and generally I'm ok. I cannot straighten my leg and I cannot bend down to touch my toes.

I am 29 generally fit and healthy and have been seeing an osteopath for two weeks with no real benefits yet. As mentioned the surgeon wants to operate and I have said that I would like to try other things first and then use surgery as a last resort.

I am on tramadol and dicloflex and biofreeze which is keeping the pain to a minimum when sitting.

Am I doing the right thing?
Should I have surgery?
Is there anything out there that can help?

 

[Greg S]

I feel for you I really do. My post will be active soon and I think I'm suffering the same as you.

L4 / L5 prolapsed and the disc underneath is in poor condition. I have no back pain just pain from my right buttock to my foot. Pain 95% of the time. Driving is awful. I get in to a car head first knees on seat and then rotate in. Can't put my socks on properly.

I'm drugged up to the eye balls but pain still there.

A neuro surgeon said they would not operate on me so I have been seeing the pain clinic. In 2 weeks it will be a year of it. If the operation is going to fix what I have then I'd do it tomorrow because I'm so fed up with it.

Good luck